Friday, October 12, 2007

The point of no return

The chill is in the air. The leaves are just beginning to change and fall. And I'm quickly loosing it.

People often comment, "You are so calm. You never seemed rattled by anything."I tell them that it is just a matter of time, really. I can take a lot coming my way until one day I reach the point of no return.

Yesterday was that day. Rather than recount the whole event, I'm simply going to make a list and leave it at that. As you will find half of the problem here is my own doing and reactions. Guilty as charged.

1. Skipped school and took 7 children to Children's Museum for 6 hours.

2. 4 screaming meltdowns by 3 year old at the Museum. Wondering if this is all a mistake.

3. The museum's food court is now remodeled which means Burger King's Value Menu is gone. Pay $21.69 for a measly amount of lunch.

3. Baby has a screaming fit (for no known reason) during movie for those "8 and older". I have to leave 5 of the children (we were split up) in the theater and exit quickly. Come to find that the 30 minute presentation is on the "Big Bang Theory". Not pleased.

4. Discovered a lie told by one of the older children which must be dealt with. She is sorry, but won't take the consequence until Dad "takes care of it" in the way only Dads can. Just want to yell, but remember my own "to be list".

9. Decide to go to WalMart at 8pm to get some fresh air and avoid going with all the children in the morning. People at WalMart are crazy- yelling at their kids, each other, their cell phones, the workers... Everyone is unhappy and scary, quite frankly. I realize that they are acting how I have been feeling today. Ahh!

Postscript...

As I sat down to get this started someone called up the stairs, "Rebekah's diaper exploded! Help!"

Giggling, smiling Rebekah greets me and holds up her PJ's to reveal that she did not in fact wear a diaper to bed, but has soaked herself up into even her hair. Nice.

Well, nothing like starting the day nice and clean from a big bubble bath.

We're going skating today. Should be fun!

I am the screaming Banshee. Check these hilarious Hallmark ecards and see what I mean. I'm particularly fond on the Baby card.

I am sooo glad I came over here today. I NEEDED a laugh, and this was a good one! So you went to the Children's museum, huh? We've had passes for the last four years and when we go, we don't play hookey, we take a field trip. There are always several school classes there doing the same thing AND they are mostly unsupervised, I might add!!! So you might be a screaming banshee, but at least you can mark off another school day while you scream. (Those ecards were hilarious too). I loved this whole post, especially the part about having nothing thawed for dinner, so you served soup, tortillas, and lunch me. Nobody liked it. That's a GREAT line! Do you live at my house?? So how close are you to Avon? I wonder if we've passed each other at the museum and didn't know it!!

Oh my. What a day! Aren't you glad there is tomorrow?! :) I hope you have sufficiently recovered and had a little "me" time (not at Wal-Mart). It was great chatting last night! I love that you are blogging!

"...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complain- ing or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing...." Philippians 2:12b-16

I often want to be the one to do big things for God. This verse reminds me that it is in doing the small things well and without complaining that I can be most useful to Him. So when I'm taking care of the sick and sweeping up the floor again and just got sauce on my only white shirt and somehow managed to drop a box of crayons down the dryer vent and my friend is hurting and my child is frustrated with school and I really don't feel like I can answer one more question.... I remember that this is my time to SHINE AGAIN.